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Sunday, September 23, 2012

By all accounts, the Flyers have had a dream season, especially as an expansion franchise. However, the team's failure to qualify for the Majors Cup means that football season is over in the Rose City. Is it too early to start thinking about next season? Never. Let's take a few moments and look at what next year's team might look like.

Positives

First lets look at a few things that Rose City did right this year. Primarily, the strength of this team was in having a large number of strong, young players who could put up points during any game. The team wasn't one dimensional, relying on one or two players to provide all of the offense. The Flyers had eight different players add at least five points over the season and Mauro Rosales added thirteen all by himself. Marco Di Vaio's six looks like it could have been a similar total had he played MLS all season. This is the type of offense this team wants to continue building next year, looking for strong contributions across the lineup so that missing any one player doesn't prove to be a problem.

The keys to achieving this will be twofold. One, retaining the top performers from last year including Rosales, Chavez, and Di Vaio will be of prime importance to the continued success of the team. Two, retaining or acquiring dangerous young players who can, at any time, have a breakout game will also be important. This year that included Darlington Nagbe and Mike Magee. Adding more players like this to the lineup while avoiding players who show promise but fail to deliver will be important.

The Flyers also capitalized on being a team that drew very few cards this year. While their opponents racked up a total of 27 cards (red cards count as two), the Flyers were only responsible for 18. Though stats for the whole league haven't been compiled, it's fair to say that this was a big contributor to the Flyers winning as many games as they did while scoring relatively few points in the early going part of the season.

Not So Much

We've discussed what went right for Rose City but just as important, if not more for a team is looking at what went wrong. Far and away, there are two things that the Boys in Red need to get better at if they want another successful season next year. The first is an issue that only the Front Office can work on, and that is Lineup Failures. The Flyers started out the season with one in Week One and, though it didn't cost them the win, it did set a poor precedent. Lineup Failures are like spotting your opponent points before the game even kicks off and sooner or later, you'll get burned by one. The Flyers expect to see ZERO LFs listed in the box score during the 2013 BSL season.

The second issue that needs work was much more widely discussed this season and that is Rose City's low PPG. The average number of points the team scored was a point of league discussion as early as halfway through the season. The early middle part of the season was dominated by wins with scores like 2-0, 2-1, and 1-0. That's luck and while it's good to have, it's no replacement for skill. The Front Office addressed the issue and it did get somewhat better by the end of the season with Rosales returning from early season injury, the addition of former La Liga player Marco Di Vaio, and the heating up of Darlington Nagbe. However, it's almost impossible not to improve on 2.2 PPG for the first half of the season. The team finished at 2.5 PPG for the regular season and 2.7 for all games played. The one bright spot here is that the team was only shut out once all year (and that was the result of a Lineup Failure).

Improving the PPG issue is part luck and part science. Finding and acquiring players who regularly put points on the board is easier as a second year team. The expansion system leaves a front office with limited options before the draft and poor draft positions. Having a roster to choose DPs from could potentially have a big impact on this statistic. It is worth noting that the team's regular season average is well within the norm for expansion franchises. It's also considerably better the the 1.0 displayed by fellow 2012 expansion franchise KC Quest. The other teams that made the playoff cut had strong DP choices like Theirry Henry, Landon Donovan, Kenny Cooper, David Beckham, and Robbie Keane. Above and beyond that potential, increased planning immediately before the draft (especially with a low draft position once again) will be required to solve this issue.

With all this said, it goes without saying that Rose City is fully expecting another strong season next year. Major club goals include defending the BSL Cup and qualifying for the Majors Cup. As of this moment, the club intends to acquire the maximum number of allowable DP slots and trade aggressively to build a club with just as much luck, but much more consistency for its second season. The Front Office is happy to entertain any and all trade offers in the off season.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Rose City wins! The Flyers claimed the BSL Cup this weekend through their trademark combination of good play and good luck. There was No Pity on the Stoners this time as the Boys in Red doubled up for a score of 4 - 2. Points came from all sorts of places including goals from Marco Di Vaio and Mauro Rosales, an assist off of the streaking Darlington Nagbe, and a clean sheet for Josh Saunders. Pennsylvania got a Save Point from Gspurning and an assist from Robbie Keane but players who are normally dangerous like Kei Kamara and Emilio Renteria were strangely quiet.

This is the second playoff game that Rose City has dominated against a team they failed to beat in the regular season. Both Pennsylvania and the vanquished Gateway United got maximum points off of the Flyers during regular season play. Rose City remains undefeated in Playoff play at 2-0-0.

It truly has been a dream season for the expansion club. The Flyers went all season without losing two in a row and finished 15-7-2 including Playoff play. The club got started slowly following a 3 - 1 loss and a lineup failure in week one but strong play and even stronger luck to finish the first half of the season with several 2 - 0 and 1 - 0 wins kept the Flyers in the midst of the Playoff hunt the whole time. It's hard to say which half of the season was better. The team ended the period before Majors Cup Qualifying in first place. Ultimately the team's APG would be much stronger in the second half of the season but stronger play by the rest of the league as well would deny Rose City a spot in the Majors Cup. They're the first team since the BSL's inaugural 2009 season to win the BSL Cup while not qualifying for the Majors Cup. Asked about it, the teams coach had this to say:

"We went out this weekend and did what we could. Are we disappointed that we didn't qualify for the Majors Cup? Sure. Everybody wants to play as much football as possible and now our season's over. We would have liked to win the Honors Trophy too. But to come into an established league like this and win a major piece of hardware in your first season? That really speaks to the quality of the organization and the types of players we have playing for this team. I'm proud to coach them. I'm proud to lead them. Thanks."

The team also wanted to make clear that they're very open to trade talks and negotiations on the off season. The coach and front office insisted that there was still room for improvement in the Rose City and that this year's champions would be back even stronger next season.

"We know what it takes to play in this league now. We're not just scrabbling in the dark like we were at the beginning of the year. You can be we'll be back and back with a vengeance," the coach offered when asked. "We made do with the tenth spot in the draft order last season. Something tells me we'll make it work again."

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

As much rollicking fun as the semifinal game was this week, it's really a means to an end. This team has been after one thing since their inception into the BSL at the beginning of the season, and that's hardware. One more win for a team that already has fourteen this season and they can put that star above the newly redesigned badge. However, there's one big hurdle before that. That hurdle's name is the Pennsylvania Stoners.

The Stoners are a club that has given everyone fits all season. With twelve regular season wins of their own and a 5-1 win over Alamo City in the semis that was almost as convincing as Rose City's own semi result, this club doesn't give up. Past history (what little of it there is for the Flyers) doesn't look good either. Pennsylvania won both regular season meetings between the clubs including a brutal Week Seven 8-0 thrashing. But that sort of hurdle is one the Boys in Red are familiar with clearing already. Gateway United won both of their regular season meetings with the Flyers this season too. It didn't help them much in last week's semifinal.

Keeping all this in mind, you wouldn't expect too many changes from last weeks killer starting squad. You'd be right.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Saints may be holding the 2012 Honors Trophy, but the Flyers were on a quest for some hardware of their own this week in their Semifinal match. Not only did the Boys in Red put up a season record seven points, but the usually potent Gateway offense laid a goose egg. In what can only be described as an overt romp, Rose City put the hurt on a stumbling and unprepared Saints team.

"We've been telling people all season that we're the real deal," the Flyers' coach offered at the post game press conference. "Everyone goes on and on about how we don't put up enough points. But truly, we've got it when and where it counts. I couldn't be prouder of the team. Now excuse me. I have to go wash some Powerade out of my hair."

Saunders dives for a Save

For Rose City's offense, it started early and didn't stop. Marco Di Vaio, the most recent big addition to the squad, put up a point early in the week. Little did he know it was already the game winner. Later that same night Mauro Rosales came alive offering three assists in Seattle's own 6-2 romp over MLS side Chivas USA. Darlington Nagbe came in for his third point in as many games after that. Finally, Josh Saunders put the cherry on the top of the sundae with both a Clean Sheet and five Save Points versus an FC Dallas offense that couldn't seem to find the back of the net. With the win, Rose City has officially pushed past a Semifinals game that has been a stumbling block for many BSL teams.

Next week is the Finals and the Flyers will face a Pennsylvania team that is rapidly becoming a natural rival. Like Gateway before them, Pennsylvania managed to down Rose City twice during the regular season including a first time meeting even more lopsided (8-0) than the Flyers' win this week. You can bet that Rose City will be looking for a little retribution. But more importantly, they'll be looking for some hardware.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

This is it. The Semis kick off tomorrow and Rose City will have another go at Honors Trophy winners Gateway United. They lost both games this year to the club so there's no doubt it'll be a tough road. However, there are some things on the Flyers side. As the Commissioner so kindly pointed out, the boys in red haven't lost two games in a row all season. Granted, week 22 was a win so that might not mean anything. Likewise, Honors Trophy winners are 1-2 all time in their campaigns to take the BSL Cup as well. The really important statistic here however is APG. The Saints average roughly two points more per game than Rose City. It's really going to come down to what sort of night the Flyers have. Will they score one or two points, like they so often have? Or will it be the five or six we know they're so capable of? A lot of that comes down to contributions from middle of the pack guys. In order to snatch a win from the league's top team, Rose City will need production from guys like Mike Magee, Darlington Nagbe, and C. J. Sapong who've been spotty at best all year.

"We've got to put up points, and lots of them. There's no way around that," the Flyers coach said after Monday practice. "We've done it before this year. Six points in week four, five in weeks fifteen and nineteen. We can't leave any points on the bench or allow anybody to come on for the other guys. One thing we've been this year is a pretty clean team. I think we can take this with a lot of effort and a bit of luck."

Monday, August 20, 2012

It's the end of the 2012 BSL regular season, and what a season it was! Rose City started the season off as one of the new kids and now they're a respected club, vying for the BSL Cup. The club struggled to put points on the board at times but seemed to have it when it counted. A season average of 2.5 points per game is well below the other playoff clubs but the Majors Cup Qualifying standings indicating that the club is inching toward 3 points in the second half of the season. The Flyers ended the season a respectable 13-7-2 with 41 points from regular season play. It's good enough for fourth place in the BSL and that final coveted playoff spot.

Many different players contributed to the success of the club over the long season but several stand out. Both captain Mauro Rosales and standout Marvin Chavez tallied nine points over the course of the regular season. Dan Kennedy provided six during his stint with the club; and Mike Magee, C.J. Sapong, and Darlington Nagbe all added five of their own. Late comer Marco Di Vaio tallied four himself. You'll find the total for all club contributions below. The club would have finished even better but for a few lineup failures throughout the season. Clearly the club's Front Office has some work to do to improve itself in the off season just as much as the players. Speculation is already running rampant in the Pacific Northwest as to who might stay with the club for next season as its first Designated Players.

Marvin Chavez - 9pts

Given point totals and performance when the club needed it the most, the Flyers Front Office as well as the owner and general manager are proud to announce Marvin Chavez as the first Rose City Flyers FC Most Valuable Player this year. Chavez's handiwork at feeding other player for assists made him invaluable to Rose City. His name is being discussed both inside and outside the organization as a possible 2013 Designated Player.

Mauro Rosales - 9pts

The club's captain was hurt for a good portion of the beginning of the year but more than made up for it with his prolific goal scoring and assist creating abilities. Mauro combined with just about everyone else on the Sounders roster it seems to put points on the board. His creativity on the field is a big reason why he ends the BSL regular season with nine points . He holds the captain's armband well and is also in discussion as a potential 2013 Designated Player.

Dan Kennedy - 6pts

Dan spent only part of the season with Rose City, joining the club when Bill Hamid took off for international team duty. With Hamid injured coming back, Kennedy picked up the slack and provided the team quality points when they sometimes were few and far between.

Mike Magee - 5pts

The Galaxy striker was solid if not outstanding for the team the entire season. He provided a boost to the scoreline regularly while not putting up over the top numbers. The front office suspects that Mike would put up bigger numbers on an MLS team that needed him more. The Galaxy simply have too many big names for a solid but not flashy striker to stand out.

Darlington Nagbe - 5pts

Nagbe had a hot and cold season. He started off with a point in week two and followed it up with a brace two weeks later. Then the Timbers striker/midfielder seemed to go cold. His next points come in Week 22 where he managed a goal in both games that week. The front office remains convinced that the young player has a future in both MLS and the BSL. The question remains though, will he meet his potential? The BSL playoffs and potentially next season are the only way to know for sure.

C.J. Sapong - 5pts

Another young striker who seemed on and off this season. Sapong scored several times in the early going and then seemed to go dead. The front office would like to see Sapong again next year. Who knows whether it will happen or not?

Marco Di Vaio - 4pts

The Italian striker looks to be the real deal in both MLS and the BSL providing four points in a few short weeks for the Flyers. He's currently under investigation in Italy for any part he may have played in the ongoing match fixing scandal. Conviction could result in a one year ban but it's unknown whether that would extend to MLS play or not. If that's cleared up in a positive way, he might also be DP material.

Josh Saunders - 3pts

The club's current keeper came in when it was needed. Here's hoping he adds to his total during the playoffs.

Maicon Santos - 3pts

Santos initially appeared to be the biggest mistake Rose City could make in the early going. He was dropped from the roster in order to pick up a player who made no impact. Scoring a hat trick in his final game, he went on to add several points to games for other teams before seemingly drying up. This might still be the biggest mistake the Flyers front office made all season.

Kosuke Kimura - 1pt

The one time Colorado backline man had more points than this. The coach always seemed to put him on the bench at the wrong time.

Alejandro Moreno - 1pt

This was the biggest disappointment of the season. The Chivas striker was supposed to be a prolific scorer for the Flyers, driving them past their competition. Instead, he turned out to be a big flop.

Bill Hamid - 1pt

A good keeper who's schedule just never seemed to line up with the Flyers. He's done well and the team wishes him all the best.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Well, the front office had mostly admitted up front that qualifying for the Majors Cup was a pipe dream at this point, but with the loss to the Gunners it's official. No one seemed to be able to put up points this weekend and that's been essentially the biggest problem in the Rose City since day one. Sometimes they're hot, sometimes they're not. With a little luck the boys in red have managed to stay near the top of the standings and will be competing in their first Playoff at the end of their first year. It's not exactly a BSL blowout (not yet) but it looks like a strong first year offering from the Flyers.

The final week of the Regular Season will feature a match versus Burud Town before heading into the postseason. They sit in the middle of the table at 7-11-3 and 24 points. It's not a season to be disrespected but Rose City should get the win here.

Rumors abound that the front office is in the midst of searching for some extra firepower for the Playoffs but we'll see how far those go.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

It's all about the Majors Cup Qualifier now that Rose City has qualified for the BSL Playoffs. And that's where we get to the lineup this week. In order to qualify for the Majors Cup, the Flyers need to win their last two games of the season. They also need either the Stoners or the Gunners to lose both of their final games. It just so happens that the CD Gunners will be in town this week for another Match of the Week to battle our boys in red. This is the best chance Rose City has to make this happen. Everything else is out of their hands now.

In other news, Hamdi Salihi has been picked up in place of Dan Kennedy barring approval from the BSL Commissioner. Until approval, this lineup could change. Kennedy is a strong keeper, but the weak Chivas back line prevents him from putting up the best numbers. We thank Dan for all his hard work for the club.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Rose City clinched the third BSL playoff spot with a tie this week versus Gold Coast. It came down to the wire, but with many of the Flyers major players sitting out for one reason or another, Mauro Rosales delivered with two points in the final MLS game of the week.

The Flyers move into fifth in Majors Cup Qualifying, but are five points off of the CD Gunners and the Stoners. Someone is going to have to have a very bad two weeks for Reds to slip into contention there.

"I thought we played pretty well for having most of our big name guys sitting out this week," the Flyers coach pointed out. San Jose had a bye week so no Marvin Chavez or Steven Leinhart and Marco Di Vaio had returned to Italy to answer questions in the ongoing match fixing scandal there. It came down to Rosales.

"Obviously we'd like to have a stronger all around team next year," the coach said when asked about next season. "Being able to get points from anyone on the field isn't something we've excelled at and several players who were supposed to be big have been a bit of a let down. But we got the job done. It's our first season in the BSL and we'll be in the Playoffs."

Next week the Gunners come to town for another Match of the Week and provide the best opportunity this team will have to squeak into the Majors Cup as well. Either the Gunners or Pennsylvania need to lose the last two of the season and Rose City needs to win both to make it happen. Beating the Gunners in Week Twenty-one would be the way to start.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Rose City is just one point from clinching a playoff spot in their first year in the BSL. Standing in their way is Gold Coast who come into the game sitting at 6-10-3. But don't be fooled. With San Jose and Chivas taking the week off, every member of the squad will have to contribute if the Flyers are to get that point.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Rose City finished the week with an impressive win over Second City. Marco Di Vaio scored his first MLS goal and got two points in the BSL with the goal and an assist. Bringing Di Vaio in is starting to look like a really smart move from the Flyers front office. He's producing, helping the club's still low APG and will be a genuine threat all next season if the club can hang onto him. Three more points came from Rosales, the Captain, Mike Magee, and a clean sheet from Josh Saunders.

More interestingly is what's shaping up at the end of the season. Alamo City and Pennsylvania are tied in the standings with 40 points but they appear along side one another next week in the Game of the Week. This could give Rose City some room to slide into a position to threaten the Honors Trophy, but no one seems to be talking about it! It's true that these two excellent teams would need to show some bad form for the final three weeks of the season, but Rose City isn't out of it yet!

Continuing the post-season implications, a win or tie next week should clinch a playoff birth for the boys in red. They currently sit in 3rd in the Standings with 37 points and 6th in Majors Cup Qualifying with 13. The last three weeks of the season could make all the difference for the Flyers both for the Honors Trophy and a chance to participate in the Majors Cup. To that end, we look to Week Twenty.

Gold Coast visits in Week Twenty, carrying a record of 6-10-3 and 21 points. While they're not contending for a playoff spot, pride is still on the line and the team has scored at least two points in each of their last four outings. Tune in here for all the news, scores and lineups.

Friday, July 27, 2012

The tie machine in New York rolls on. Even the Flyers couldn't escape in week eighteen as the last team in the BSL without a tie on the books. More importantly though, a win or tie with Second City in week nineteen clinches a spot in the BSL playoffs for this first year team.

"We've played well and, lets be honest, had more than our fair share of luck as a first year team," the coach agreed after practice. "We did what we had to do and we'll be looking to clinch our club's first playoff birth here this weekend against Second City."

Monday, July 16, 2012

The Flyers were done in by the Battle in week seventeen 3-1. It's a painful score for Rose City who were looking to maybe top the standings again with a win. The only point on the board was a score from Saunders who kept the net clear for his first start. Once again the coach underestimated Kosuke Kimura, leaving him on the bench when he scored for the second time. To make matters worse, he would have come in had he been placed higher on sub list thanks to Bill Hamid's straight red.

The rest of the season is more or less downhill, with Rose City simply defending their playoff position against would-be spoilers like Spartans, Second City, and the CD Gunners for the last five weeks. That doesn't mean the team isn't taking the end of the season seriously though. A string of well placed wins here, paired with a few lucky shots to the Battle and Stoners could still hand the Flyers the Honors Trophy. Come back for all the rest of the action.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Okay folks! This is where the rubber hits the road. Rose City is sitting squarely in third place and has a chance to make it even better. They're playing the first place Battle in the Match of the Week and a win means moving up at least one (maybe two) places in the standings. It looks like they're a lock for the playoffs barring some sort of implosion. Now's the time to push for the Honors Trophy and win first place in our first BSL season.

The Battle lost the first meeting 4-3 this year and they surely will be coming for revenge. Rose City needs to hold out, put a good number of points on the board, and probably get a little lucky to pull this one out. Cross your fingers for the Suns to down Pennsylvania as well and you might see the Flyers back on top.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Rose City demolished the bottom-of-the-table Quest this week 3-0 after lineup failures from both teams. What's most encouraging (aside from keeping the Flyers in the playoff hunt) is that this is the third time in three weeks that Rose City has scored three or more points. That might not sound like much but for a team that averaged 2.5 ppg before this week, it's encouraging. Rose City remains the only club with no ties in BSL play this season.

"Yeah. We talked that topic to death," the team's coach agreed in the post-match presser. "We've been working on getting more balls in the back of the net and it's finally starting to show." In particular, Marco Di Vaio scored his first BSL goal this week after the MLS transfer window opened up and he took the field for Montreal.

Next week features another Match of the Week for the Flyers, this time against the Battle. The teams have played only once before with Rose City sneaking a 4-3 result versus the current number one team.

"These two teams have been butting heads all season. We picked up that first result against them and jumped into first place. Another three points next week could really help things along," an upbeat coach added. "they're a really strong team with a lot of different angles of attack so we'll have to be on our toes." A win would definitely move the Flyers back into second and could mean the top of the table again if Gold Coast can tie or beat Pennsylvania.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Week Fourteen was big for the Flyers. They'd been talked down to for weeks about their weak offense and the number of points scored every game. They came out of nowhere to drop five points on a helpless Alliance team, all from assists. Marvin Chavez was Man of the Match with a pair.

Week Fifteen features a matchup against the KC Quest and, speaking from the future, the Flyers have a hill to climb. Their lazy GM managed to post the lineup late.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

So Rose City has managed it again. Say what you will about this year's hottest new team, they seem to get just the right amount of points. Most of the time. The Flyers finished off the Blues in week thirteen in a tight 2-1 win. Adam Moffat found the back of the net and C.J. Sapong put up a point for the first time in several weeks. But are they going to put up enough points down the stretch to stay where they are? Or is there an inevitable crash coming? Will Marco Di Vaio prove to be as strong a pickup as the team hopes when he arrives after the transfer window opens next week? Only time will tell.

Week fourteen is an exciting rematch with Gateway in another game of the week. The Saints gave Rose City a startling jolt into the BSL with a 3-1 win in the Flyers first ever league game at the beginning of the season. Let's see if Rose City can turn the tables this time.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

The Flyers currently sit in second after a heartbreaking 2-3 loss to Pennsylvania in week twelve. That was also the first week of Majors Qualifying so, even in second in the standings, the boys have some work to do. Still, with 24 points they seem to be in a comfortable position to make a playoff appearance assuming nothing untoward happens in the meantime.

Week thirteen is against the Blues who lost the first meeting of the season 6-4. Still, Rose City hasn't put that many points on the board since then. Look for this to be a close match. Lineups are still tricky. Rose City dropped onetime captain Alejandro Moreno a week ago for lack of production and both Marvin Chavez and newly aquired Steven Beitashour will sit out while San Jose takes another week break. Marco Di Vaio has arrived in la métropole but won't be making his first MLS appearance for another week at least. Still, things look good.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

It's another Game of the Week here in week twelve and it's never felt quite like this. This game is as close as it gets to "for all the marbles" when we're only halfway though the season. A win will move the Flyers into a very comfortable first place, a loss will definitely hand that spot back to this weeks' rival, the Stoners. Can Rose City come out on top against a team that put eight points on them just a few weeks ago? Either way, this one is starting to have rivalry written all over it.

Monday, May 21, 2012

The Flyers managed a win once more in the Week 11 Match of the Week over Gold Coast. The question remains though, averaging only 2.2 points per game, can they keep doing it? That's been the talk in the league as the team jumped into first in both standings and the power rankings this week.

"It's certainly not a number that I'm happy with," Rose City's coach said when asked about it. "We left another point on the bench this week with Kimura and that one's on me. He'd been getting minutes and not producing so I sat him down. In hind sight, he should have at least been the first sub. He would have made it onto the pitch then. But it's still an issue we're working on. With Di Vaio coming in in the next week or so and Rosales getting his feet under him finally, I still think we're a team that's going to get better over the next few weeks rather than worse."

Several members of the team have been underperforming as of late. Alejandro Moreno has tallied only one point all season during a week five loss. C.J. Sapong hasn't scored in several weeks either after proving central to the team's early progress. Justin Braun was also expected to provide more offense than he has, tallying a single assist so far.

So the question remains. Is Rose City the real deal? The club improved to 8-3-0 and first in both the standings and power rankings this week so for the moment it looks to be the case. That said, the Majors Cup kicks off next week providing every club a fresh start.

Look to see the Flyers try to continue their dominant streak as they once again take on the Pennsylvania Stoners in the Match of the Week. Four weeks ago, Rose City took an 8-0 thrashing by this same team and a win by the Stoners this week would put them back into first in the standings on APG alone.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The boys from Vegas are in town this week to face down Rose City who currently has more wins than any other team in the BSL. However, Alliance is currently 10th in the standings and only a touch higher on the Power Rankings. Can they shake up a Flyers team that looks to be rock steady? Only time will tell.

"We're doing pretty well right now," the Flyers coach admitted when talked to during a mid-week practice. "Most wins in the league isn't something to sniff at, but we still have room for improvement. We'd be in first but for our APG. That's where my concern is right now."

The concern is warranted as Rose City is currently only averaging 2.4 points per game. That's not as many as a team that'd be capable of staying at the top of the standings should be putting out. However, help is on the way. The team played without Mauro Rosales until last week and Italian Marco Di Vaio should begin making an Impact (pun intended) in the next week or two himself. With their newfound firepower, can the Flyers keep their grip on a playoff spot? What's to come with Majors Cup qualifying just around the corner?

Sunday, May 6, 2012

The Flyers did what some considered impossible in the Game of the Week this week, taking down a strong Alamo City side 4-3. Without the red-hot foot of Thierry Henry, the Battle were unable to put quite as many points up and Rose City took advantage. A strong performance from the whole club was required including three points from the field and the Save Point from Kennedy in the net. The big story however, was the return of Mauro Rosales. Averaging one point on the week from two separate games, there can be little doubt that the club did the right thing waiting for the big man to get healthy and return to the lineup.

"Yeah, there was some chatter both online and around the league that we should drop him to try and up our APG," the Flyers coach admitted. "Some even speculated that he wouldn't really return to form after he got back on the pitch. We've been really happy though, with his effort in the recovery and his work rate from the beginning. We were content to wait this one out knowing that he'd contribute big time when he came back."

And boy did he. Without Mauro this is a tie game and Rose City doesn't end up where it is in the tables.

"We're in a great place looking at heading into Majors Cup Qualifying," the coach said. "I'm really very happy with how the team is shaking out. They're gelling on the field and making great plays. If anything, I think we could be putting a few more in the back of the net." With Rosales back and gaining full strength, it's expected that that's just what the Flyers will be doing.

To add to the feeling of moving forward and making more strikes at goal, it appears that Rose City has won the bidding war for Marco Di Vaio, adding another dangerous pair of legs to the pitch. Di Vaio is the leading scorer for Serie A club Bologna and should quickly make his presence known in MLS and the BSL.

With this win Rose City moves to 6-3-0 and 2nd in the league tables. No other team has as many wins. Time will tell how this win effect the club's place in the BSL Power Rankings.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Marco Di Vaio, currently with Bologna in Serie A is coming to MLS with the Montreal Impact and that means, Rose City is bidding on this prolific scorer. With discovery rights turned in, the club has found itself in a bidding war with Burud Town and CD Gunners.

"This is a bidding war I think we can win," the head of Rose City's front office said. "We're a young club putting up points and it's an opportunity for Marco to come in and be the key man of the franchise. It's something a lot of players of his calibre dream of but it's much harder to achieve in Europe. He can do that here and we want it to be as a Flyer."

Bill Hamid, who hasn't seen a start since the first week of the season, is currently on offer for the bidding war. Bidding ends a 5pm PST on Sunday, the Sixth to find out where this keepers' menace will land. Look for it to be with Rose City.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Week 9 is here and boy is it a doozy. Rose City will be facing the ever-strong Alamo City Battle in the Match of the Week. But how strong are they really? They're coming off of a two game losing streak which is sure to give them a reason to fight. But how hard a fight will the team give without the steady presence of captain Thierry Henry? In any case, the Flyers look to make Henry's absence a moot point this weekend.

Mauro Rosales got almost an hour of playing time last week and should be up for a more complete performance than that this time around. Bill Hamid is in fine shape, but continues to warm the bench as Joe Willis does all the work in DC. Still, this is a club that's in better shape than it has been in several weeks.

We're on a tight schedule here with Week 9 just around the corner. That doesn't mean we can't celebrate the good work the club did in Week 8 though. While it's true that Burud Town hasn't put up a great showing to this point in the season, three points is three points and Rose City got them all on the back of Marvin Chavez this week.

"Marvin's a hard worker above all," the Flyers Coach said when asked about the players two point performance this week. "His position with San Jose behind Wondolowski makes him dangerous especially off of assists. But he's more than capable of putting the ball in the net himself too.

Rose City are riding high once again as they claimed the 3rd spot in the Standings and look to remain in the playoff hunt. The team is winning, but can they keep it up? Will two or three points a game serve them well enough? That's the question for now.

Rose City is currently 5-3-0 and in 3rd in the standings. Alamo City is up next and they're looking to snap a two game losing streak.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Well, it's week eight and after an 8 - 0 showing versus Pennsylvania last week, Rose City is happy to see it. They're still only a point out of fourth place (and a playoff spot) and we're still four weeks from beginning Majors qualifying. Anything can happen. This week the Flyers face Burud Town who have only one win in seven games. If there's a match that a playoff type team should win, this is it.

By now, Rose City is starting to feel the bug that is injuries, players being missing and so forth. It is however looking like it's about time for Mauro Rosales to be making his big return. He's listed as probable by the Sounders. Bill Hamid on the other hand is match fit, but it seems that DC United feel more comfortable with Joe Willis in the net.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Rose City got it done once again with some quality from both inside and outside the net. They were aided by a Lineup Failure on the part of Second City, but didn't need it as they shut out Stars. Points came from Kennedy's clean sheet as well as an assist from Darlington Nagbe.

"I'm very happy with where we are at this early point in the season," the Flyers coach said. "We're an expansion club that's getting points both at home, and on the road and that's a big deal. We're averaging 2.5 points a game. That's what I'd like to improve on. All the top clubs average four to five and that's where we need to be if we really want to be considered one of the big boys. We're working on it, and it should improve on its own somewhat as we get Bill Hamid and Mauro (Rosales) back into the lineup. These guys can both bring down multiple points each game. It should help."

Rose City improves to 4-2-0 and sits in fourth place in the standings and fifth place in the Power Rankings. Next week will tell a story as the Pennsylvania Stoners come to town. The Stoners are nipping at Rose City's heels in the standings and actually sit fourth in the Power Rankings.

"It's an opportunity for us to go out there and look good and get a win against a quality opponent," the manager said. "And maybe to show whoever does those rankings how wrong they are."

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Last week was a tough loss for the Flyers, but they expect to perform well against Second City and get three more points. The good news is that Bill Hamid is back in shape though he will be warming the bench for one more week just to make sure he's healthy. Mauro Rosales looks to be on his way back to play in the next week or so as well, and Bjorn Runstrom has joined his new team in New England. Things are looking up in the Rose City and this week can only make things brighter. Join us for hot Week Six action.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Rose City won its first battle of the expansion clubs? Can they do it again? Was getting rid of Maicon Santos really a mistake, or did he just hit his one big game this season right before getting dropped? Only time will tell in an early starting Week Five.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Rose City came up big in week four with six points and a win over the struggling Union SC. A pair of braces, first from the departing Maicon Santos and then Darlington Nagbe made sure the Flyers were in it to win it and Sapong make sure the job was finished.

"We really went out and did the job. I think we're proving that you don't need a big pile of DPs to be competitive in this league," the Flyers head coach was quoted as saying at the end of match presser. Addressing the departure of Santos he had this to say: "Sure, we evaluated Maicon incorrectly. We screwed up and he's obviously capable of strong performances. We appreciate that there aren't any hard feelings and that he went out and played his best game for us knowing it was his last. We wish him all the best wherever he ends up."

Santos was unceremoniously dropped to make way for league newcomer Bjorn Runstrom. "We wanted to find someone we believed could bring the fire up top. Little did we know, we had him all along," a member of the front office said on condition of anonymity. "Now we can only wish Maicon Santos good luck and hope that Runstrom can be the heavy hitter in this league we were looking for."

Rose City is now 3-1-0 and sitting in third in the league tables. Off to a good start.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Week four is nearly upon us and that means it's time for another lineup. There's good news and bad new for the Flyers and a couple of players that will be evaluated right up to kick off. Bill Hamid is back with the team after the heartbreak that was the US U-23 performance in Olympic Qualifying. He did however suffer some injury in the final game against El Salvador. It currently appears to be nothing to major, either a bone bruise or a sprain, but he will most likely be sitting on the bench for his first game back with the team.

Mauro Rosales is still being patched up by team doctors as well and will be evaluated day to day. That said, the Flyers got the job done last week with just the starting XI and expect that they can do it again. "Oh yeah. We take the Blues very seriously," a rain soaked coach said when asked during weekday practice. "Their record may not show it right now, but they'll put up a fight. The fact is, they've simply been massively out scored for several weeks while putting up quite a few points of their own. We think we can win, but we don't expect a walk in the park."

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Rose City pulled off a win versus the expansion Quest in Week 3's Match of the Week. Standouts included Dan Kennedy's keeping and the assist from Marvin Chavez.

"We just went out, did what we could do, and played our game," Moreno, said. "That's all you ever can do. We put two in the back of the net and they didn't. That's obviously how we'd like it to always turn out, but you have to take it one game at a time, you know?"

The Flyers improve the 2-1-0 on the season with six points scored. The team finds itself in fourth place in the league and the last ranked team to have two wins. Their standings should improve in this week's Power Rankings before they face a Union SC team still looking for its first win.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

It's week three and, like many other football teams, Rose City is trying to dodge injuries, players with National Team duty, and the MLS schedule which can leave key players on your roster without an opponent on any given week. Those players are, Mauro Rosales, Bill Hamid, and Mike Magee respectively. The team will just have to make do with its starting XI to get the job done.

The match is against fellow expansion side the KC Quest, and, after a stunning beating of the defending champion CD Gunners, the Flyers seem to be flying high, on top of the world. Will they end KC's Quest? Or will they get pull back down to reality? Tune in, to find out.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Rose City dropped the defending champion CD Gunners in week two, 3-0. It what was sure to be a tough match, but the Flyers put things together to grab the points they needed while the Gunners struggled to find the net.

"This is the result we've been looking for", the Flyers captain Moreno said. "We got on the board last week and, leaving front office issues aside, didn't put up the numbers we needed. This week, things looked much better."

CJ Sapong is looking to be one of Rose City's MVP players with two goals in two games. Darlington Nagbe followed up with a goal of his own off of a bad clearance, and the assist from Mike Magee cleared things up for good. Asked about how the club was forming up, the coach had this to say.

"I think we're coming along nicely. Even with the loss last week, we put points on the board and knew we had a team that could get things done. We're a young team with a lot of talent and I think that talent showed this week with the scores from Sapong and Nagbe. We're in a good position for the next two weeks because our roster is quite spread out in regards to which MLS teams players belong to. We're not going to get burned by the Galaxy's two week bye. We're looking forward to our meeting with the Quest next week. We're both expansion franchises trying to find our footing and I think we can get the jump on them with a little hard work."

Rose City is now 1-1-0 all time in the BSL and have scored five points total. Bill Hamid will remain on National Team duty for the next two weeks most likely.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

In an effort to fix what was broken last week, the front office for Rose City is posting their week two lineup a day early.

"We know who we're starting already. We've taken a look at who's playing who, what's going on around the league, and we want to do everything we can to support our boys. Here it is."

With Bill Hamid out of the picture on National Team duty with the U-23s preparing for Olympic qualifying, Dan Kennedy has signed a temporary deal with the club to hang out in the net. "We have every confidence in him and are glad he could help us out in a pinch," the Flyers general manager said. "This week's a big game. The Gunners are a serious team and for that, you need a serious keeper. Dan Kennedy can be that keeper."

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

First Kick is over and Rose City didn't get the result they were hoping for, falling 3-1 to Gateway United.

"Gateway is an excellent team and they deserve all the credit with their win. Our boys showed spark and energy and we still expect to be a team to be reckoned with going forward," a sober Flyers manager said during the post-match presser.

The Flyers would at least have been at only a one point deficit if not for a late lineup penalty. It was not a good way to start their first BSL season.

"The boys on the pitch certainly did their part," the manager continued. "We have to do ours here in the office so that we can give them every chance to win and we failed this week. We expect our supporters to hold our feet to the fire and we vow to not let them down again. You can bet our lineup will be posted well ahead of time for Week 2."

Finally, Rose City announced the signing of free agent Adam Moffat to continue to build up their roster barring approval by the commissioner's office.

EDIT: In accordance with the 12 player roster limit, Rose City is releasing Josh Wolff as well.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Rose City isn't starting off the season well. The front office has failed to post their starting line up in time for first kick and, as such, is subject to the Lineup Failure rule BSL has in place. With it's act finally together, Rose City has posted its first kick starting lineup.

A humbled manager opened a press conference. "The BSL is a new level of play for Rose City and we expect to compete. We'll be on top of things from here on out and trust that our fans can understand a less than stellar opening kick. The points haven't been tallied yet. A one point loss from the LF rule is disheartening. But I still think our players can put it out of their minds on the field and show the BSL what we're made of." She did not take any questions.

Monday, February 27, 2012

The BSL 2012 Draft is officially underway with a mix of solid players, newcomers, and speculation going in the early rounds. Rose City traded their first round pick a few weeks ago along with their 7th round pick in the acquisition of CJ Sapong and picked up a second 5th round pick as well. Look for those in a while. We're currently in the second round and Rose City has officially added more fuel to the "Keepers Matter" fire that was discussed on the league's main page earlier in the week. With their second round pick, Rose City took Bill Hamid (DC) who's one of the league's top keepers and a regular for the USMNT as well. Check this page to stay up to date.

Justin Braun joins the Flyers in Round three, though the coach admitted that she had her eye on several players and that it was a very tough decision.

The Draft is now complete with all of Rose City's picks listed below. It looks like a good crew.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Stepping up to the podium in the crowded press room the Rose City Flyers General Manager made the announcement we've been waiting for. Leaning in to the microphone she said a few simple words.

"Rose City names Mauro Rosales as our Expansion Draft pick." She added, "We believe that his prolific scoring ability but also his skill in creating chances for his teammates will be a strong asset in the Flyers' first BSL season."

Thursday, February 16, 2012

The 2012 BSL Season has been announced! It's a riveting twenty two games featuring a first kick between the Flyers and Gateway United and a challenging second week staple versus current BSL champions the CD Gunners. Other teams have quite a few strong matches scheduled in the early season as well. The schedule as it currently exists looks to separate the strong teams early and Rose City looks to be one of those teams.

The front office for the Flyers also wants to unveil the new kits the team will be playing in at this time. Featuring a red and black split and the team's official sponsor, Powell's City of Books, the club is very excited to get to work in the new duds.

Work is ongoing toward determining who the player is who will be chosen as the club's Expansion Draft pick. In any case, through careful negotiation, Rose City FC will have three players on its roster before the regular draft gets under way and the general manager and front office feel very positive about that.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The rewards of an aggressive trade strategy keep rolling in as Rose City FC announces that they have acquired Alejandro Moreno from Gold Coast FC in trade for their 6th round Draft Pick.

"We feel much more comfortable making sure we have strong players on our roster from the start rather than rolling the dice in the draft," a Rose City spokesperson said to reporters when addressing the aggressive trade strategy that the Flyers have used so far to set up their 2012 inaugural campaign. "We feel like we are already on the road toward a competitive team in fantasy football's top flight."

The general manager for the Rose City Flyers tweeted to day, "Just signed strong deal. Will bring us a great striker up front. #BSL". Shortly afterward a press conference was held to fill in fans and a rapt media on the deal.

"We've been in talks for a while with several clubs," she began, "and I am proud to announce that a deal was signed this morning with the Alamo City Battle to bring CJ Sapong on board for our 2012 BSL campaign. With a fresh, young striker up front who's guaranteed to generate some points I think it's clear that we're already on the road toward building that championship quality team."

Rose City receive Sapong and a fifth round Draft Pick in exchange for their first and seventh round picks. "This gives us the flexibility to grab an important piece of our puzzle now, rather than hoping he's still available when our late first round pick rolls around. Adding in the second fifth round pick provides a lot of flexibility to grab quality players who might be overlooked in the first few rounds and capture some solid substitute options. We're very happy with this move," the manager added.

Rose City FC obviously has their eyes on the prize and mean to contend in this, their first year. Whether their manager and front office have what it takes to bring the necessary talent home to the Rose City remains to be seen.

Monday, February 13, 2012

The Rose City Flyers are proud to announce their opponents for the 2012 First Kick. The Flyers' first opponents will be Gateway United. "Gateway United might expect our expansion club to be an easy pushover," said the Flyers GM "However, we expect to be fighting right along side the founding members of the BSL. The Flyers intend to contend for the title in their first year."

The manager also let slip that the Flyers are already in talks with several clubs about pre-draft trade options and that they have their eyes on several strong players for the expansion draft. Return here for all the news about the new club's picks and for a breakdown of the win over Gateway Untied.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

The Rose City Flyers FC is pleased to announce that they will be joining BSL for the 2012 season. They're ready and willing to entertain offers from other clubs and are aiming to shake up the league with a quality expansion showing.